Gasolene-turbine.



L. LETT.

.GAsoLENE TURBINE.l

APPLICATION FILED`FEB. Il. 1915- 1,174,509. Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

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L. LETT. GAsoLENl- TURBINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. l1, 1915.

y Patented Mar. 7,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. LETT. GASOLENE TURBINE.v

APPLICATION FILED FEB.1!, 1915.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Witwzoow LLETT, GASOLENE TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. II, |915.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Wil'wwom LEON LETT, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

f GASOLENE-TURBINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

Application led February 11, 1915. Serial No. 7,548.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON LETT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gasolene- Turbines, of which the following is a speciication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to explosive engines and has for its object the production of a simple and eiiicient explosive engine of the turbine type especially adapted to be applied to flying machines, automobiles and the like. n

Another object of the invention 1s the production of a simple and eflicient means for controlling the explosion of the gases and deliver the explosive gases to the cylinder for efficiently driving the same.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists of certain novel comblnations, constructions, and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying draw1ngs:-F1gure 1 is a top plan view of the engine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view looln'ng at the driving end of the engine. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section through one of the driving cylinders. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the upper end of the explosive chamber. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of the turbine wheel. Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing the cam for operating the pusher rod. Fig. 8 is a side elevation ofthe pump apparatus used in connection with the present invention. Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 9 9, of Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the main journals of the turbine cylinder. Fig. 11 is an edge view of the lower end of the valve operating rod. Fig. 12 is an end view of a portion of the lower end of the gear mechanism. Fig. 13 is a side view of the oil pump. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the flap valve adapted to be carried by the explosive chamber.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that 1 designates the base which is provided with the transversely extending webs 2. A plurality of cylinders 3, preferably four in number, are mounted upon the base 1 by means of the standards or brackets 4 as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. An operating or driving shaft 5 passesthrough all of the driving cylinders 3 as is clearly illustrated 1n Fig. 1, and may carry at one end a ily wheel 6 as is illustrated in Fig. 1. The

opposite end of the driving shaft 5 carries a driving gear 6, which driving gear 6 meshes with the magneto driving gear 7 for operating the magneto 8 `for supplying the desired current for the operation of the engine and the explosion or ignition of the gasses. A pump driving gear 9 is supported adjacent the main driving gear 6 and meshes therewith, and this pump drivlng gear 9 is carried by a crank shaft 10, which crank shaft engages or supports the plunger rods 11, which plunger rods carry the plungers l2 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8 for working in the pump cylinders 13, thereby constituting an eliicient means for sucking the gasolene into the carbureter 24 illustrated in Fig. 3 and also driving the gas from the carbureter up through the desired pipes into the explosive chamber to be hereinafter described. The crank shaft 10 is preferably supported upon a plurality of brackets 15, which brackets are carried by the base 1 as is clearly illustrated in Figs. l and 3.

Each of the driving cylinders 3 comprises a drum-like casin having a trough-shaped pocket 16 forme upon each side thereof.

A fuel supply pipe 17 is connected to the trough-like casing 16 formed upon one side of the cylinder 3, and this supply pipe 17 communicates with an explosive chamber 18. The pipe 17 in turn communicates with a vertically extending fuel supply pipe 19, which fuel supply pipe 19 is connected to the carbureter by means of a communicating pipe 20 shown especially in Fig. 3. These explosive casings 18 are connected in parallel as shown in Fig. 1.

The explosive chambers 18 communicating with the respective casings 3 carry spark plugs 21, which spark plugs are electrically connected to the magneto 8, which magneto 8 is driven by means of the gear 7 as above described. A wire 22 leads from the magneto 8 and passes around the pipes 17 and 19 for the purpose of heating the gas as the same passes from the carbureter 23.

As clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the pipe v 17 communicates with the explosive chamber 18 by means 'of an elbow 24. Each elbow 24 carries a valve casing 25 which is clearly illustrated in Fig. 5, and this valve casing 25 carries a vertically movable valve 29 for controlling the inlet of vgas lnto the explosive cylinder18. The valve stem 26 carries a coll spring'27 which is engaged by -mea-ns of a washer 28 carried by the stem for normally holding the valve '2,9-upon its, seat Within the valve lcasing25. The lower` end of the valve stem 26 carries a grooyed roller 30 which is clearly illustrated in Flgs.

4,7 and 9, and this grooved roller 30 is adapted to'travel upon the cam 31 carried by the valve actuating shaft 32. This valve actuating shaft 32 is driven by means of a drive gear 33, which drive gear meshes withy an intermediate gear 34, which intermediate gear 34 meshes with an auxiliary gear 35.

Each explosive chamber 18 carrles a flap valve 36 which is pivotally mountedv upon a rod 37, and each flap valve 36 is actuated by the same in irm engagement with the cam 39. The shaft 37 is provided with an olf-set end I41 which .is connected to the'off-set/ upper end 42 ofthe plunger rod 40 vwhich is clearly illustrated in Fig. 14.

By carefully considering Figs. 2 and 13 it will be seen that a pump 43 is employed and is actuated by means of a sprocket chain 44 passing over a sprocket 44 carried by the shaft 32 coperatingwith the shaft which supports the gear 9 for facilitating the driving of the pump'43, which pump is of a rotary nature. A supply pipe 45 is connected to theA pump 43 and is adapted to communicate with -the bearing portions 46 for the purpose of lubricating the same. These bearing portions 46 are connected to the supply pipe 45 by means of the pipes 47 clearly illustrated in detail in Fig. 10.

A plurality of oil tanks 48 are placed upon the base 1 intermediate the cylinders 3 and are connected to the oil pump 43 by means of the pipes 49.

A rotary pump 50 is employed adjacent the gear 9 and is actuated by means of a train of gears 51 coperating with the shaft 52 for imparting rotary movement to the pump 50. A pipe 53 passes from the rotary -pump 50 and communicates with the Water jackets 54 formed around the rotary cylinders 3 by means of the communicating pipes 55 as clearly illustrated Vin Fig. 4 of the drawings. An exhaust pipe 56 communicates with the exhaust chamber 16 for the purpose of conveying the exhaust from the driving cylinder 3 as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Each of the driving cylinders 3 carries a driving wheel 57, which driving wheel is provided with a grooved periphery 58 carrying a plurality Yof spaced partitions 58 for constitutingA driving pockets, whereby the burnt or exploded gases may pass down through the entrance or supply hopper 18 and engage the partitions 58 and rotate the driving wheels 57 in the direction of the f l arrow indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The gases will pass from the intake or supply hopper 18 into engagement with the partitions 58 v through the aperture 59 formed in one side of the casing 3 into the exhaust hopper 16. The exhaust gases will then passv out from the exhaust-hopper 16 through the pipe 56.

As clearly illustrated in the drawings it will be seen that thev electric Wire which is connected to the spark plug and ,forms one `communication therefor, may pass around the :pipe which is adapted tosupply the fuel to the explosive chamber, and in this manner heat the gases to the desired temperature for the purpose of facilitating the exploding of the gases after the same have entered into the explosive cylinder.

It should be understood that the shaft 32 is so driven as to cause the same to rotate at a speed of six to one with respect to the shaft 5, thereby causing a number of explosions within each cylinder to every revolution. of the driving wheel 57.

The operation of the device is as follows: Gasolene or other fuel supply passes from a tank into the carbureter 43 and up through the pipe 2,0 to'the respective explosive chainbers 18. It should be understood that the device is so timed and the cams 31 are so placed as to cause the explosions t'o take place at di'erent times in the di'erent explosive cylinders 3. The flap valves l36 are of course open to allow the exploded gases to pass into the cylinder 3 at the proper time, and this will, of course, cause the Wheel 57 to rotate, the exploded gases passing out through the exhaust chamber 16.

A water cooling system is employed for the purpose of cooling the cylinders and is actuated as previously described and as clearly illustrated with respect to Fig.11.

Sufcient current will be' generated through the engine by means of the magneto 8 above described. i,

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very simple and efficient means has been produced for controlling the entrance and discharge of the gases into and from the explosive cylinder, and further that a very simple and eiicient means has been produced for insuring the actuation of the several valves employed in connection with the present device to prevent the `back-fire of the gases into the carbureter -any number of cylinders may be employed without departing from the spirit of the in- 13G vention, and it should be further understood that any other detail changes may be made in the mechanical mechanism without departing from the spirit of the invention.

When four lcylinders are employed it is preferable to have the explosion take place for the two central cylinders at alternate times, but the two end cylinders may have the explosion occur at the same time for the' purpose of facilitating the driving of the main or driving shaft 5.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

An explosive engine of the class described comprising a cylinder, a driving wheel mounted within said cylinder, an explosive compartment formed upon said cylinder, a valve for controlling the admission of eX- plosive gases into said cylinder, said `valve provided with a projecting shaft, a depending rod secured to said shaft, a bracket semunicating with said cylinder.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEON LETT. Witnesses:

LEONARD WARD, -JNo. A. ALrHsoN. 

